BREAST PUMP DEVICE COMPRISING A VOLATILE COMPONENT ANALYSIS SYSTEM

Abstract

According to the invention, a breast pump device (1) is realized that is not only capable of realizing a breast milk extraction process, but that is also capable of providing relevant information about breast milk that is extracted, breast milk that has recently been extracted, a batch of stored breast milk, and/or the outside air. Milk-related air and/or outside air is analyzed by means of a volatile component analysis system (40) comprising at least one sensor (41) and a controller (42), wherein the controller (42) is configured and arranged to control an information device (50) for communicating the information that follows from the analysis to a user of the information device (50).

Claims

1. A breast pump device for extracting breast milk from a human breast, comprising: an expression kit comprising a breast-receiving funnel and a milk outlet, a vacuum unit comprising a pump for realizing a pumping action on air in the breast-receiving funnel of the expression kit, involving evacuation of air from the breast-receiving funnel, a volatile component analysis system that is designed to perform an analysis of at least one of air as present at a position in the breast pump device and air as present at a position in the environment of the breast pump device, the volatile component analysis system comprising at least one sensor and a controller, wherein the at least one sensor is configured and arranged to detect at least one value of at least one volatile component in the air, and wherein the controller is configured and arranged to receive and process a detection signal from the at least one sensor representing the at least one detected value of the at least one volatile component, and an information device that is configured and arranged to provide a user of the information device with information relating to the quality of at least one of breast milk and outside air, the controller of the volatile component analysis system being configured and arranged to control the information device on the basis of the detection signal.

2. The breast pump device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one value of the at least one volatile component in the air includes at least one of the presence of the at least one volatile component and a quantitative characteristic of the at least one volatile component.

3. The breast pump device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor of the volatile component analysis system is configured and arranged to detect a concentration of water vapor in milk-related air of a position in the breast pump device that is in fluid communication with a milk path of the expression kit to be followed by breast milk in the breast-receiving funnel and/or with a milk receptacle.

4. The breast pump device according to claim 1, wherein the volatile component analysis system is configured and arranged to perform the analysis of the air real-time during operation of the breast pump device, the controller of the volatile component analysis system being configured and arranged to control the information device on the basis of a real-time detection signal during operation of the breast pump device.

5. The breast pump device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor of the volatile component analysis system is arranged at a position in the breast pump device where air that is displaced under the influence of the pump of the vacuum unit during operation of the breast pump device passes.

6. The breast pump device according to claim 1, wherein the volatile component analysis system comprises at least one detection conduit accommodating at least one sensor, and wherein the at least one detection conduit is configured and arranged so as to enable the pump of the vacuum unit 44 to generate a flow of air towards and through the detection conduit.

7. The breast pump device according to claim 1, wherein the volatile component analysis system comprises an electronic nose.

8. The breast pump device according to claim 1, wherein the volatile component analysis system comprises a mass spectrometer.

9. The breast pump device according to claim 1, wherein the expression kit comprises an air outlet and a milk leakage preventing arrangement that is associated with the air outlet and that constitutes a barrier to human breast milk while allowing air to pass, wherein the vacuum unit comprises an air inlet for receiving air from the air outlet of the expression kit, wherein the pump of the vacuum unit is configured and arranged to suck air from the breast-receiving funnel of the expression kit, through the air outlet of the expression kit and the air inlet of the vacuum unit, and wherein the at least one sensor of the volatile component analysis system is arranged in the vacuum unit, at a position between the air inlet and the pump.

10. The breast pump device according to claim 9, wherein the milk leakage preventing arrangement that is associated with the air outlet of the expression kit is hydrophobic and comprises one of a solid sheet of material, the sheet being provided with holes, a porous membrane and a labyrinth.

11. The breast pump device according to claim 1, comprising an electric motor for driving the pump of the vacuum unit, and a conduit for interconnecting the expression kit and the vacuum unit.

12. The breast pump device according to claim 11, wherein the conduit is arranged to establish an open air path between the air outlet of the expression kit and the air inlet of the vacuum unit.

13. The breast pump device according to claim 1, wherein the information device comprises a screen and is designed to display the information relating to the quality of at least one of breast milk and outside air on the screen.

14. The breast pump device according to claim 13, wherein the information device is separate from the other components of the breast pump device, i.e. the expression kit, the vacuum unit and the volatile component analysis system, and wherein the controller of the volatile component analysis system is configured and arranged to realize wireless transmission of the detection signal to the information device.

15. A breast pump device for extracting breast milk from a human breast, comprising: an expression kit comprising a breast-receiving funnel and a milk outlet, a vacuum unit comprising a pump for realizing a pumping action on air in the breast-receiving funnel of the expression kit, involving evacuation of air from the breast-receiving funnel, a volatile component analysis system that is designed to perform an analysis of milk-related air as present at a position in the breast pump device, the volatile component analysis system comprising at least one sensor and a controller, wherein the at least one sensor is configured and arranged to detect at least one value of at least one volatile component in the air, and wherein the controller is configured and arranged to receive and process a detection signal from the at least one sensor representing the at least one detected value of the at least one volatile component, and an information device that is configured and arranged to provide a user of the information device with information relating to the composition of breast milk, the controller of the volatile component analysis system being configured and arranged to control the information device on the basis of the detection signal.

16. The breast pump device according to claim 15, wherein the at least one value of the at least one volatile component in the air includes at least one of the presence of the at least one volatile component and a quantitative characteristic of the at least one volatile component.

17. The breast pump device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor of the volatile component analysis system is configured and arranged to detect a concentration of water vapor in air of a position in the breast pump device that is in fluid communication with a milk path of the expression kit to be followed by breast milk in the breast-receiving funnel and/or with a milk receptacle.

18. The breast pump device according to claim 15, wherein the volatile component analysis system is configured and arranged to perform the analysis of the air real-time during operation of the breast pump device, the controller of the volatile component analysis system being configured and arranged to control the information device on the basis of a real-time detection signal during operation of the breast pump device.

19. The breast pump device according to claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor of the volatile component analysis system is arranged at a position in the breast pump device where air that is displaced under the influence of the pump of the vacuum unit during operation of the breast pump device passes.

20. The breast pump device according to claim 15, wherein the volatile component analysis system comprises at least one detection conduit accommodating at least one sensor, and wherein the at least one detection conduit is configured and arranged so as to enable the pump of the vacuum unit to generate a flow of air towards and through the detection conduit.

21. The breast pump device according to claim 15 wherein the vacuum unit is equipped with an air valve that is configured and arranged to release a vacuum in a continuous cycle during operation of the breast pump device, and wherein the volatile component analysis system is designed to perform an analysis of outside air that is received in the vacuum unit through the air valve and comprises at least one sensor that is at a position for being in fluid communication with received outside air, wherein the at least one sensor is configured and arranged to detect at least one value of at least one component of received outside air, wherein the controller of the volatile component analysis system is configured and arranged to receive and process an outside air detection signal from the at least one sensor representing the at least one detected value of the at least one component of received outside air, and wherein the information device is configured and arranged to provide information relating to the quality of the outside air, the controller of the volatile component analysis system being configured and arranged to control the information device on the basis of the outside air detection signal.

22. The breast pump device according to claim 21, wherein the volatile component analysis system comprises an electronic nose.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to FIG. 1, which diagrammatically shows a partially sectional view of a breast pump device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, comprising an expression kit, a vacuum unit, a hose for interconnecting the expression kit and the vacuum unit, a volatile component analysis system that is arranged in the vacuum unit, and an information device, wherein components of the vacuum unit, components of the volatile component analysis system, and the information device are represented by blocks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0031] FIG. 1 relates to a breast pump device 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, comprising an expression kit 2 and a vacuum unit 3 for generating a pressure cycle during which vacuum is alternately created and released. The expression kit 2 comprises a breast pump body 20 and a milk receptacle 4 that is connectable to the breast pump body 20, e.g. by screwing, thereby closing a lower end of the breast pump body 20. In the shown example, the vacuum unit 3 is an electric vacuum unit and comprises an electric pump 31 and an air valve 32 for realizing an alternating vacuum during operation, i.e. during pumping sessions to be performed by means of the breast pump device 1. The electric pump 31, the air valve 32 and associated control means (not shown) for realizing proper operation of the electric pump 31 and the air valve 32 are designed to function in a manner that is well known in the field of breast pump devices. Therefore, further details of these components will not be further explained in the present text, and the same is applicable to other practical aspects of the vacuum unit 3 known per se, such as an electric connection of the pump 31 to a source of electric power, which may be the mains or a battery, for example.

[0032] In FIG. 1, the breast pump device 1 is shown in an assembled condition, in which the vacuum unit 3 is connected to the expression kit 2 through a hose 5. Such a configuration allows for a remote arrangement of the vacuum unit 3 with respect to the expression kit 2, so that the size of that part of the breast pump device 1 that is to be applied to a user's breast can be kept within reasonable limits. At one end, the hose 5 is connected to the expression kit 2 through a suitable connector 6 arranged at that particular end, which will hereinafter be referred to as expression kit connector 6. The hose 5 may be fixedly connected to the vacuum unit 3 at the other end thereof, but it also possible for the hose 5 to be releasably connected to the vacuum unit 3 through another suitable connector (not shown). It is to be noted that the breast pump device 1 can comprise two expression kits 2 for enabling a user of the breast pump device 1 to extract milk from two breasts at the same time, in which case the expression kits 2 can share a common vacuum unit 3.

[0033] The breast pump body 20 of the expression kit 2 has a first pressure chamber 21 and a second pressure chamber 22. The first pressure chamber 21 is configured for receiving the expression kit connector 6. The second pressure chamber 22 comprises a breast-receiving funnel 23, an aperture acting as a milk outlet 24, and a milk path 25 from the breast-receiving funnel 23 to the milk outlet 24. The breast-receiving funnel 23 is thus in fluid communication with the milk outlet 24 through the milk path 25. The breast-receiving funnel 23 can comprise a massage cushion or the like (not shown) for providing a soft and warm feel to the breast and/or imitating a baby's sucking action. In the shown example, the first pressure chamber 21 is located at a backside of the breast-receiving funnel 23. Within the framework of the invention, other locations of the first pressure chamber 21 are possible, including a location at the milk receptacle 4.

[0034] The breast pump device 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown is of the type in which an open air path is established between the expression kit 2 and the vacuum unit 3. Hence, in the shown example, the expression kit 20 comprises an air outlet 26, and the vacuum unit 3 comprises an air inlet 33, wherein the air inlet 33 of the vacuum unit 3 serves for receiving air from the air outlet 26 of the expression kit 2, and wherein the pump 31 of the vacuum unit 3 serves for sucking air from the breast-receiving funnel 23 of the expression kit 2, through the air outlet 26 of the expression kit 2 and the air inlet 33 of the vacuum unit 3. Furthermore, in the shown example, the first pressure chamber 21 and the second pressure chamber 22 are separated at the position of a barrier portion 27 that is located in the breast pump body 20. The barrier portion 27 is designed to function as a milk leakage preventing arrangement at the position of the air outlet 26 of the expression kit 20 and may be realized as a solid sheet being provided with a number of holes having dimensions in the micrometer range, or as a porous membrane or a labyrinth, for example. Furthermore, at least at the position of the barrier portion 27, the material of the breast pump body 20 may have hydrophobic properties. In any case, it is intended for the barrier portion 27 to serve as an arrangement in the breast pump device 1 that is air-permeable and liquid-impermeable, at a position associated with the very position where air flows out of the expression kit 2 in the direction of the vacuum unit 3 during operation of the breast pump device 1. In that way, it is achieved that the barrier portion 27 serves for separating the first pressure chamber 21 from the milk path 25 in the second pressure chamber 22, thereby increasing the level of hygiene of the breast pump device 1 and preventing liquid from reaching the hose 5 and the vacuum unit 3, while allowing for air communication between the first pressure chamber 21 and the second pressure chamber 22, at least to such an extent that the breast milk expression functionality of the breast pump device 1 is not hampered, assuming that the barrier portion 27 provides a sufficiently low pneumatic restriction to the air flow. For example, a vacuum applied to the first pressure chamber 21 also causes vacuum in the second pressure chamber 22 since air can pass through the barrier portion 27, whereas water and/or breast milk in the second pressure chamber 22 are blocked. Thereby, the barrier portion 27 acts as a hygienic shield. Having a hydrophobic barrier portion 27 may further positively influence bacteria-related aspects of the breast pump device 1, such that bacteria transfer to the hose 5 and the vacuum unit 3 are prevented.

[0035] It is possible for the breast pump body 20 to be equipped with a splash guard (not shown) arranged in the second pressure chamber 22 for shielding the barrier portion 27 from droplets of breast milk. Thereby, such a splash guard can act as a first barrier which avoids that too much breast milk reaches the barrier portion 27. Droplets of breast milk which reach the barrier portion 27 anyway can clear off the barrier portion 27 automatically in case the barrier portion 27 is hydrophobic. Advantageously, the entire breast pump body 20 is made of one single material, preferably a clear plastic material having hydrophobic properties, such as polymethylpentene (PMP) or polypropylene (PP).

[0036] General operational aspects of the breast pump device 1 will now be mentioned. In the first place, a user and/or a caregiver of a user makes sure that the expression kit 2 and the vacuum unit 3 are properly connected to each other through the hose 5. Before the vacuum unit 3 is activated, the user and/or the caregiver furthermore needs to take care that the milk receptacle 4 is properly connected to the breast pump body 20, and that the breast to be subjected to a milk extraction process is properly inserted into the breast-receiving funnel 23 of the second pressure chamber 22. In that situation, a breast-receiving end of the second pressure chamber 22 is sealingly closed by the breast, whereas a lower end of the second pressure chamber 22 is sealingly closed by the milk receptacle 4. When, starting from that situation, the vacuum unit 3 is activated, a pressure cycle involving generation and release of vacuum is realized in the first pressure chamber 21, as a result of which the breast is subjected to forces which serve for simulating a feeding situation, as a result of which milk supply is induced from the breast, and during which it happens that air is sucked in the first pressure chamber 21 from the second pressure chamber 22 through the barrier portion 27. A desired pressure profile, i.e. a time-variable pressure, can be applied to the breast taking into account the pneumatic restriction of the barrier portion 27. The breast milk flows from the breast-receiving funnel 23 to the milk receptacle 4 through the milk path 25 and the milk outlet 24, under the influence of gravity and/or the pressure generated by the vacuum unit 3.

[0037] Preferably, the connection of the milk receptacle 4 to the lower end of the second pressure chamber 22 is airtight, although the invention also covers the possibility that leakage of air is allowed to a small extent at the position of the connection as mentioned. The fact is that the breast pump device 1 can still function properly when the pumping action to be realized by means of the pump 31 of the vacuum unit 3 is strong enough for invoking a flow of air from the expression kit 2 to the vacuum unit 3 as desired, in spite of some leakage of air as may occur in practice.

[0038] In the present embodiment of the invention, the breast pump device 1 is adapted to perform a function of providing a user and/or a caregiver of a user with information that is related to the quality of breast milk and that may be generated during a pumping session, right after a pumping session, or even in a separate session in case a user and/or a caregiver of a user wants to be informed about the quality of a batch of stored milk. To that end, the breast pump device 1 is equipped with a suitable volatile component analysis system 40, i.e. an analysis system that is designed to perform an analysis of air aimed at obtaining information about one or more volatile components as may be present in the air. In the context of the present embodiment of the breast pump device 1, the air to be subjected to an analysis is air that is in contact or has been in contact with breast milk, and the one or more volatile components are volatile components of the milk, i.e. molecules of the milk that have evaporated from the milk to the air. Furthermore, the breast pump device 1 is equipped with a information device 50, which may comprise a screen for displaying information derived from the volatile component analysis system 40 in written and/or graphic form to a user and/or a caregiver of a user, for example, and/or which may be separate, even be remote, from the other components of the breast pump device 1.

[0039] The volatile component analysis system 40 may comprise an electronic nose or a mass spectrometer, for example. In a more general sense, the volatile component analysis system 40 comprises at least one sensor 41 and a controller 42, wherein the at least one sensor 41 is configured and arranged to detect at least one value of at least one volatile component of breast milk in air that is present at an area that is open to an area for containing the milk or that is drawn from such an area, which air is referred to as milk-related air, and to transmit a breast milk detection signal representing the at least one detected value of the at least one volatile component of the milk to the controller 42. The controller 42 is configured and arranged to receive and process the breast milk detection signal from the at least one sensor 41, and to control the information device 50 on the basis of the breast milk detection signal. In FIG. 1, a volatile component analysis system 40 comprising one sensor 41 is illustrated, the one sensor 41 being arranged at a position in the vacuum unit 3, particularly a position between the air inlet 33 and the pump 31. Transmission of a detection signal from the sensor 41 to the controller 42 is diagrammatically indicated by means of a dashed arrow. Likewise, transmission of a control signal from the controller 42 to the information device 50 is diagrammatically indicated by means of a dashed arrow.

[0040] The type of information to be provided to a user and/or a caregiver of a user determines which type of detection needs to be performed during operation and which type of sensor 41 needs to be chosen. For example, the sensor 41 may be suitable to be used for detecting a concentration of water vapor in milk-related air. In such a case, it is possible to determine whether breast milk that is received and collected in the expression kit 4 is foremilk or hindmilk and to provide corresponding information through the information device 50. In another example, the sensor 41 may be suitable to be used for detecting the concentration of a component that is typically associated with the presence of stress hormones in the milk. In any case, by operating the pump 31 of the vacuum unit 3, milk-related air is drawn from the expression kit 2, and is forced to travel all the way down from the expression kit 2, passing the air outlet 26 of the expression kit 2 and the associated barrier portion 27, flowing through the hose 5 and passing the air inlet 33 of the vacuum unit 3, finally reaching the sensor 41 of the volatile component analysis system 40. By means of the controller 42 of the volatile component analysis system 40, information about milk as present in the expression kit 2 is generated by analyzing input as received from the sensor 41, and the information device 50 is controlled to present the information in such a way that it can be perceived by a human being. The direction in which the milk-related air flows through the hose 5 is diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 1 by means of an arrow.

[0041] It is possible for the volatile component analysis system 40 to be adapted to check whether one or more components indicating bad quality of breast milk are present in a batch of stored milk. In that case, the breast pump device 1 can be used as an analysis tool without performing a breast milk extracting process. A user or a caregiver of a user can put a container with a batch of stored milk at the position of the milk receptacle 4 and activate the breast pump device 1 so that the pump 31 of the vacuum unit 3 realizes a flow of milk-related air from the expression kit 2 to the vacuum unit 3, allowing the volatile component analysis system 40 as present in the vacuum unit 3 to analyze the air and control the information device 50 to provide an indication about the quality of the stored milk.

[0042] The breast pump device 1 may also be adapted to perform a function of providing information that is related to the quality of the outside air (environmental air) at the location where the breast pump device 1 is present, which may help a user and/or a caregiver of a user in deciding whether the location is suitable for safe use of the breast pump device 1, without any negative effects on the quality of the breast milk. To that end, the volatile component analysis system 40 may be designed to perform an analysis of outside air that is received in the vacuum unit 3 through the air valve 32 during operation and to control the information device 50 to provide information relating to one or more quality aspects of the air.

[0043] It follows from the foregoing that, according to the invention, a breast pump device 1 is realized that is not only capable of realizing a breast milk extraction process, but that is also capable of providing relevant information about breast milk that is extracted, breast milk that has recently been extracted, a batch of stored breast milk, and possibly also the outside air. Milk-related air and/or outside air is analyzed by means of a volatile component analysis system 40 comprising at least one sensor 41 and a controller 42, wherein the controller 42 is configured and arranged to control an information device 50 for communicating the information that follows from the analysis to a user of the information device 50.

[0044] It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the foregoing, but that several amendments and modifications thereof are possible without deviating from the scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such amendments and modifications insofar they come within the scope of the claims or the equivalents thereof. While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the figures and the description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary only, and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The drawings are schematic, wherein details that are not required for understanding the invention may have been omitted, and not necessarily to scale.

[0045] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by a person skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the figures, the description and the attached claims. In the claims, the word comprising does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite article a or an does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0046] Elements and aspects discussed for or in relation with a particular embodiment may be suitably combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Thus, the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0047] The term comprise as used in this text will be understood by a person skilled in the art as covering the term consist of. Hence, the term comprise may in respect of an embodiment mean consist of, but may in another embodiment mean contain/include at least the defined species and optionally one or more other species.

[0048] The scope of the invention covers both the breast pump device 1 in an assembled condition as illustrated in FIG. 1 and the breast pump device 1 in a disassembled condition.

[0049] The expression kit 2 and the vacuum unit 3 may be positioned in any suitable configuration. According to one practical possibility, the expression kit 2 and the vacuum unit 3 are interconnected through a flexible hose 5, as is the case in the shown example, in which configuration it is possible to handle and manipulate the expression kit independently from the vacuum unit 3 to a considerable extent. According to another practical possibility, which is also covered by the invention, the vacuum unit 3 is attached to the breast-receiving funnel 23 of the expression kit 2.